NextFin news, Israel's military opened a temporary transit route on Wednesday to enable Palestinians to flee Gaza City amid a major ground offensive launched by Israeli forces. The route, located on Salah al-Din Street, the main north-south thoroughfare in the Gaza Strip, will be open for 48 hours starting from midday Thursday until midday Friday, according to Israel's Arabic-speaking military spokesman, Colonel Avichay Adraee.
The opening of this corridor follows the Israeli military's intensified bombardment and ground operations in Gaza City, which began on Tuesday as part of a campaign Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a "powerful operation" aimed at dismantling Hamas strongholds.
Adraee urged residents fleeing southward to follow military instructions and traffic signals along all available evacuation routes, which are marked on maps provided by the Israeli army. Until now, residents were advised to evacuate via the coastal road toward designated "humanitarian zones" in the southern Gaza Strip, including parts of Al-Mawasi.
The conflict escalated after Hamas's October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths. Israel's retaliatory campaign has caused significant casualties in Gaza, with the territory's health ministry reporting over 64,000 deaths, mostly civilians. The United Nations has accused Israel of committing "genocide" in Gaza, a charge Israel categorically denies.
According to the Israeli military, approximately 40 percent of Gaza City's residents have fled amid the ongoing offensive, with more than 350,000 people moving southward. However, many Palestinians report there is no safe place within Gaza and express reluctance to leave their homes despite the violence.
The United Nations estimated that around one million people live in Gaza City and its surrounding areas. The humanitarian situation remains dire as the conflict continues, with international calls for ceasefire and negotiations ongoing.
These developments were reported by multiple sources including Aftonbladet, Digital Journal citing AFP, and other international news agencies on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
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